Three (KB 3192403 for Windows 7, KB 3192404 for Windows 8.1, and KB 3192406 for Windows Server 2012) of the seven updates Microsoft recently released deal with adding snooping capabilities to Windows 7/8.1 and may be linked/entwined with Microsoft's "Customer Experience Improvement Program" (I've turned this off on my Win7 system) and "DiagTrack" which I don't have on my system since I've not allowed Windows Updates.

Currently, these updates are listed as a test--they are unchecked, optional updates. How many users will howl with pain when these updates are installed by the clueless?

"Bottom line: Those users who install KB 3192403 or KB 3192404 should expect a greatly enhanced DiagTrack subsystem that provides unknown kinds of telemetry to Microsoft, with no easy way to switch it off."

"Tero Alhonen has noticed something uncanny about the patches: The KB 3192403 and KB 3192404 articles include wording that's basically identical to that found in KB 3192441, which is the Oct. 11 cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1511. They have the same telemetry upload points and registry entries. It sure looks like Windows 10-class snooping is coming to Windows 7 and 8.1."